Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The sun is shining brightly today and our dining room is splendidly reflecting all that light. This room gets the best light in the house.

The white tulips my dear husband got me for Valentine's day brightened up the room even more:

I love the new look of the light gray lower wall, which you can see closer in the background of this next photo. The sculptured paste wall stencil now has a more subtle effect, but still gives dimension:

It looks especially calming behind these pretty china pieces:

These pink roses from Trader Joe's are still going strong:

The corner hutch got a cleaning-out and now displays all the blue and white pieces I've collected, as well as our wedding china. Here it is, with the arched window glass door closed & opened:

Little details...

...and a reflection of the room in this vintage mirror:

This room is such a happy place to be, that I'm seriously considering turning it into a multi-purpose library/dining room. I am embarassed to admit that a gorgeous antique French daybed is being held captive in our dark basement. We never had any place to put it on our upper levels. It's been down there far too long, and needs to relish some daylight. Would it be crazy to line it up against a wall in here next to the dining table and use it as a reading area? Hmmmm...
I'll be sharing this bright room with White Wednesday, Feathered Nest Friday and Show and Tell Friday.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Pink perfection added to the neutral whites here (sharing with White Wednesday). Such happy pinks, don't you agree? I hope you are enjoying your St. Valentine's day. I'm feeling incredibly blessed for the loves in my life - my dear husband, children, family and friends (including you!).

I'm sending special prayers out today for those I love who are struggling with illness, job loss and sadness. My dear college friends and I just spent the weekend in Vermont. A beloved spouse of one of these friends is living in the advanced stages of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The strength of the love in that family holds them together, day by day. I'd appreciate any prayers you could offer for Frank, Heidi and their two boys.
All I can think about today is the power of LOVE. It defies despair and has no end.
Thank you.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Is it only a week until Valentine's day? This winter is going by much faster than last year, considering what a mild season it has been. We've had very little snow and warmer temperatures. The spring-cleaning bug has hit me early. Lots of purging is going on (finally!), as well as making lists of zero-budget projects.
A girl can try.

The wintery decor is retiring, yet the simple whites still dominate...

Last summer's dried hydrangeas from our garden were re-discovered and I'm adding groups of them about:

The photo above shows the wall under our dining room chair-rail. We have a sculptured fleur-de-lis stencil there, but I'm no longer loving the antique gold glaze painted on it. I plan to cover it gray this week with paint we already have, crossing my fingers there will be enough (zero-budget means a magical mix of paints on hand).

Meanwhile, some small reminders of Valentine's day are taking form. A little bit of pink:

A vintage postcard:

Some hanging hearts to spread the love:

I hope to share the refreshed dining room with you soon. Wish me luck with my creative painting challenge.
In the meantime, I'll see you and a whole lot of inspiration over at White Wednesday this week.
Oh, and thank you so much for all your lovely comments on the previous post about my sweethearts. It's moments like those that I cherish. :)

About Me

This blog allows me to share my love of decorating and crafting with a French/Nordic vintage style. I am pleased to have found so many like-minded friends in the process. The blog is named in honor of my grandmother Evelyn and great-grandmother Rose, whose talents I can only hope to have inherited.
I'm blessed to be married to a wonderful man and staying at home with our two children whom I'm crazy about.